Collapsible miniature house



nited States Fatent onLAPsILE MINIATURE HoUsE jasper H. Engh, sos sth sf., Fargo, N. Dak. Filed oct. 17, 1951, ser. No. 690,647

2 claims. (c1. is-*19) This invention relates generally to `miniature houses and particularly to one which can be comp-actly shipped in a knocked-down condition, and which may be readily assembled. y

It is an object of my present invention to provide a miniature house for use as a bird house or toy house, which consists of a number of prefabricated sections, particularly constructed to facilitate compact shipment and easy assembly into erected position.

I-t is another object to provide a small miniature house made ina plurality of prefabricated sections with means for securely holding said sections in assembled relation.

More specifically, it is an object to provide a collapsible miniature house provided with corner anchoring posts, specically constructed to positively hold all of the sections in intertted assembled relation.-

These and other objects and advantages of my inven- -tion will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a house embodying my invention, with portions thereof broken away.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary Vertical sec-tional view taken substantially along the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse Vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 5 5 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse horizontal section view taken substantially along the line 6 6 of Fig. l.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I provide a base section 10, consisting of a still panel member, and having -a plurality of angle-shaped slots 10a formed therein. The slots 10a deiine Ithe corners of a rectangle and side panels 11, and end panels 12 extend respectively therebetween. Suitable means are provided at the ends of lside wall sections 11 Iand end panel sections 12 to permit the same to be intertted, such -as the tongue and notch arrangement illustrated, which incorporates the spaced-apart tongue elements 11o a-nd 12a of the respective panels 1,1 and 12. Notches are provided between each of the tongue elements, so that the tongues 11a of the side panels are received in close-fitting relation with the notches of the end panels 12 and the Itongues 12a of the end panels are received in closetting relation within the notches of the side panels 11. This close-interlitting relationship at the corners greatly facilitates assembly of the panels, since it provides means for temporarily holding the corners together by the frictional engagement of the respective tongues in the notches, to permit subsequent completion of the assembled unit.

'Ihe interior of the house may be subdivided, as by a plurality of partitions, such as the dividing partitions 13 and 14. Also, a platform 15 may be provided above 2 said partitions to provide housing in the gable area below the roof.

A pair of roof panels 16 are supported on the upper gable edges of the end panels 12, and said roof panels have angle-shaped slots formed therethrough directly above the corners of .the w-all sections to permit an angle-shaped corner -anchoring column 17 to be inserted slidably therethrough. An labutment 17a is provided at the top of said angle post 17 to enga-ge the area of the roof sections -16 adjacent the angular slots therethrough. I have found it to be convenient to provide a slight taper on the cross-sectional area of the angular post members 17 to facilitate insertion thereof through theroof slots, downwardly adjacent -the marginal end portions of the wall panels 11 and 12, and into the angular slots 10a: provided in the base 10 yto form corner anchoring posts which not only hold the roof downwardly against the upper ends of the wall sections,'gbut also positively anchor Ithe corners of the wall sections, as best shown in Figs. l `and 6. Suitable means for locking each corner post 17 downwardly in tightly-clamped relation, are provided, such as the tapered locking pins 18, shown in Fig. 4, which underlie the base panel 10, -as illustrated. The roof-engaging surface of the -abutment or enlarged top portion 17a of the anchor post 17, is beveled at a simil-ar angle -to the pitch of the roof 16, so as to tit downwardly thereagainst, as described. A ridge member 19 is provided for overlying the upper marginal edge p-ortions of the roof sections 16, as best shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, and is securely held in position by the chi-mney member 20, which has -a pair of downwardly-extending janchoring rods 21, best shown in Fig. 5, which are 'held against the roof sections 16 by underlying, tapered pins similar to the pins 18.

It will be apparent that the miniature house illustrated accommodation space is adapted for use as a Ibird house, and when so used, a

pair of perch platforms 22, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, are provided and extend inwardly through suitable slots formed in the end walls 12, and extend under the marginal end portion of the horizontal platform panel section 15.

It will he seen that I have provided a relatively simple miniature house construction, which is particularly ladapted for easy and rigid assembly, and may be used as 'a bird house in the form illustrated, or obviously could be ladapted for use as a childs doll house, or even in a larger form, such as a dog house.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may lbe made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of my invention, which consists of the matter shown and described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

What -is claimed is:

1. A miniature house constructed of a plurality of pretabricated individual sections, comprising a base ysection, side and end wall panels supported on said base section, the side and endwall panels engaging each other at the corners and having intertting tongue and notch portions preventinginward movement of the panels, roof sections supported on the upper edges of said wall panels, corner anchoring posts having a cross sectional shape in the form of an angle and overlapping the tongue and notch portions of said wall panels at the exterior side of the respective corners thereof, said roof sections and said base section having'angle-shaped slots at the respective corners of the wall sections and receiving said angleshaped corner posts therethrough, roof hold-down means at .the top of said posts and integral therewith, and releasable means at the bottom of the posts and underlying the base section and locking the base section to positively clamp the wall panels between Ithe roof sections and the base section.

2; e miniature. house wnstruted of. a plurality Qi Prefabricated individual sections, comprising a base sec-v tion, side and endwall panels supported on said base sectfmr the Sfle. as@ @dwell Barrels,A having interim-ipa means at the corners preventing 'nwardv rnweinenty ofthe panels, mi Sectie@ Surgeries @rif-1:1@ ugrerfedges gf saisi wl-1 @21.11.919 www @flaming Pests having a @mss Sectie@ Share in the, ferm, Qf an, angle, and nwfcgfme. @brauen-1.1 sefresrpgndiasly Shared S1918 ir; the maf.- andbese Sec,.- tivns, 'and 'overerving the marginal, cernergvrrf'ions 0f Said wall Panels at the respective www there@ te 1191@ Ithe wail panels. from moving outwardly, Said earner posts having roof hold-down means, @I lsefgi-rlg` the 19p surfacesof 4the roof sections and also'having means below the base section for loking the `same and positively clamping the wall panels between said roof sec- :tions and said base secion, a ridge member having Va generally L-shaped cross section owerlying the intersection between said roof sections at the upper edges thereof, a chimney-like structure overlying the ridge member 'and engaging the `roof sections on oppositeV sides of tire ridge member and including a pair of depending rods projeting tlirough apertures in the roof seotions yto prevent movement of the roof sections downwardly away from the ridge member, and means on the rods beneath the roof sections and clamping the roof sections against the chimney structure.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS 739,669 a, --f-r--f Sept- 22 1903 1,279,865 Henshel v Sept.' 2`4, 191s 1,608,273- Glasgow Nov. 23, 1926 1,610,121 Dickinson Dec. 7, 1926 1,671,505 Bemis May 29, 1928 2,204,319 Parsons et al. June 11, 1940 2,422,217 Barnes f June 17, 1947 2,68Q,327 Harper June 8, 1954 2,714,782- Dimi Aug.v 9, 1955 t FOREIGN PATENTS 593,970 Great Britain Oct. 30, 1947 

